UPDATE 1-Gulf council rejects Arab summit on Syria

DUBAI, Nov 15 (Reuters) - The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Tuesday rejected Syria’s call to hold an emergency Arab summit, making it very unlikely the Arab League would agree to hold the meeting.

Syria’s call on Monday for an emergency meeting of Arab leaders was an apparent effort to forestall its suspension by the Arab League over its violent crackdown on protesters.

Nabil Elaraby, the Arab League’s secretary general, said he had delivered Syria’s request to the 22 member states and 15 of them would have to approve in order to hold a summit, according to Egypt’s state news agency MENA.

GCC Secretary-General Abdulattif al-Zayani said the group of six Gulf Arab states continued to support League efforts to end the bloodshed.

The League’s suspension is a particularly bitter blow for Assad who has always seen himself as a champion of Arab unity. (Reporting by Isabel Coles; Editing by Jon Hemming)